Harry Potter & The Power of Love
by Shadows-of-Realm
Summary: After Dumbledore's death, Harry breaks up with Ginny. He keeps having dreams about a certain dead professor and all that Harry finds out is that Ginny is important to him and to the war! This is an Alternate Universe, seventh year fic.
1. Chapter 1 Nightmares & Long Due Amends

**Harry Potter and the Power of Love**

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I own nothing of Harry Potter. All content is owned by JK Rowling, and I'm simply playing in her sandbox! All I own are my Original Characters, if there are any!

**Summary:** After Dumbledore's death, Harry breaks up with Ginny. He keeps having dreams about a certain dead professor and all that Harry finds out is that Ginny is important to him and to the war! This is an Alternate Universe, seventh year fic. Obviously, the Deathly Hallows are ignored!

**  
**********Please Note This is My First Fanfiction! Reviews & Constructive Criticism Are Highly Appreciated!************

**Chapter One: Nightmares and Long Due Amends**

Harry woke up again, the third time that night. The clock on his bedside table glowed 3:54 a.m. His dreams had been haunted again; he had seen Dumbledore smiling at him once again as he said, "There was nothing you could have done, Harry. My time here was done, I have gone on now to the next great adventure and have passed down to you everything you need to know. I have loved you as if you were my own grandson and in many ways you have made me proud, Harry, prouder than most grandfathers ever are but now, you must stop fretting over my death and must fulfill the prophecy, it's the only way that you will finally be able to live! Don't let my death be in vain, Harry, remember me for who I was and what I stood for! Remember, we always have the choice between doing what's easy and what's right. I know that you will make the right decision. Remember, Harry, your father, mother, Sirius and I are always watching you and we know that you will make use proud."

Harry had been having this dream, among others, may times a night since Dumbledore's death. The dreams were all about himself and Dumbledore. The most common one had them walking together in the Forbidden Forest. They had been discussing how to kill Voldemort, and all Dumbledore was willing to reveal was, "The answer lies with your love for Ginny." Immediately afterwards the dream would mysteriously end.

He wondered if, somehow, this was Dumbledore's spirit communicating from the dead. How else could the dreams be ending so conveniently, leaving Harry with very little additional information? It was such like Dumbledore to give him part of the answer and then let him sort out the rest for himself. Harry shook those thoughts from his head. He knew it was impossible for Dumbledore to come back. He wouldn't have stayed as a ghost, he would have gone on to wherever the next great adventure took place.

Crying softly, Harry rolled over and tried to return to sleep. As he lay there, tossing and turning, sleepless, he thought back on his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he thought of his best friends; Ron, and Hermione, and his girlfriend, Ginny. Ex-girlfriend, he quickly remembered, as the tears returned to his eyes. He tried to stop himself from thinking about it but it was too late, his thoughts had already moved on to how he had broken up with her.

It had been on the day of Dumbledore's funeral; he had told Ginny they could no longer be together because he was afraid. She had laughed at him saying that the famous Harry Potter, the "Chosen One" was never afraid. Then her laughter died out so suddenly that Harry wondered if someone had cast a silencing charm; she had realized that Harry Potter was seriously afraid for her life if they continued to date. All he had told her was, "I have to keep you safe from Voldemort! If he knows about us, he will go after you. There is no safety with me."

She had been shocked and could barely utter, "But there is no safer place for me than beside you" as he slowly walked away struggling to control his own tears.

That night had been one of the worst for him; Ron had yelled him at him till he was senseless and then pounded him. He then whipped out his wand and with a _levicorpus_ left him hanging from the ceiling by his ankles. Then came Hermione, she healed everything that Ron had done and then let down from the ceiling, but then she took Harry into an empty classroom and spent two hours verbally assaulting Harry as well. They thought he was stupid, and at that time he was inclined to agree. How could he have ditched Ginny, his first real girlfriend? However, it was Ginny's face that had nearly killed him. She was looking so distraught. And the worst thing was it was entirely his fault! He felt like drowning himself in the lake at Hogwarts if it would take away her pain! He knew then that wasn't the right course of action. It wouldn't solve anything, would in fact make it even worse, for them all. He was crucial to the whole war.

Damn Trelawney, if only she hadn't made that stupid prophecy. Then maybe, just maybe Harry could be a normal 16 year old wizard. But wait, he was Harry Potter, the Chosen Boy Who Lived! Nothing was going to be normal for him! How could it be?

In the three weeks since the beginning of summer, Ron had written once in the first week to let Harry know how much he hated him. Harry hadn't replied, feeling so ashamed with himself. He truly was drowning in guilt. How could he have been so stupid? He had also received one letter from Hermione, stating, "Ginny's been crying all the time and all she tells us is, 'I don't blame him.'" He hadn't replied to this either but felt really horrible, as usual. His only other post had been the Daily Prophet, which he didn't even bother reading. Just a quick glance and it too joined the junk he had been collecting in his trash can. But what did he expect after ruining his Ginny's life? His best friends were bound to hate him and he couldn't blame them for that. However, he was going to try his hardest to change that and he had a good idea how. Harry hoped that fixing his relationship with Ginny would be enough to fix his relationship with his two best friends... but what if Ginny no longer wanted him? He shook that thought away thinking that he would deal with it as it came, and hoped that it wouldn't be that way.

Finally, when sleep came to him, he fell into a restless slumber. There was no way he could turn his mind off. He just had too much to do. After tossing and turning in his bed for a little under four hours, Harry finally decided he was going to get up and out of bed as Uncle Vernon started screaming at him, "Boy, get down here, right now!" Vernon boomed while pounding down the stairs on his way past Harry's room.

Harry groaned and then slowly trudged down the stairs. "You called Uncle Vernon?"

"Today is your seventeenth birthday, is it not?"

"Yes Uncle Vernon." He actually knows when my birthday is, Harry thought?

"Excellent!" exclaimed Uncle Vernon, "Now you can leave our house for good! You have ten minutes to gather your stuff and leave." Harry was gone within two, never to return again, or so he had told his uncle and aunt before apparating. He had always known that as soon as his protection ended his uncle would kick him out and he didn't really want to stay, or even see them again. Therefore, he had his things ready, and just needed to collect them before twisting in mid air and vanishing with a loud "crack".

Harry thought for a few moments and then decided that he should go try to make amends. Today being his birthday, he was reasonably sure he had a higher chance of Ginny listening to him. He realized that he didn't know where the Weasleys were staying and as such arrived inside the Ministry of Magic and was walking down the hallway to speak with Mr. Weasley, _his_ Ginny's dad. He had trouble finding Mr. Weasley's new office due to his promotion to Head of Magical Law Enforcement (MLE). As he entered the main office, the secretary behind the desk waved him into Mr. Weasley's personal office immediately.

"Hello, Harry. How has your birthday been? I've been expecting you to come here today."

"Good Morning, Mr. Weasley. I wish to speak with Ron, Hermione, and... Ginny." In his head he added _my_ before Ginny, but wasn't going to say it out loud right now because Ginny wasn't really his.

"Of course Harry! Minevra asked me to hand this to you, it'll get you into headquarters where everyone is currently staying."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I'll see you at dinner then." Harry left Mr. Weasley's office, and then read the small note that he had been given.

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix have been secured at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

After reading the note, Harry burned it with it a quick, _Incendio,_ and then disapparated.

Harry apparated into the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmuald Place, currently the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Incidentally, Harry also owned it, but that didn't matter right now. He stumbled around blindly for a few minutes waiting for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light before walking up the stairs into the room that Hermione and Ginny had shared when they were last living here. The only person he found in the room was Ginny, exactly who he needed to talk to.

"Hello, Ginny," Harry spoke softly, not wanting to upset her.

"Oh, it's you Harry," She replied very bitterly, "Have you come to hurt me some more?"

"No, Ginny, in fact, I've come to apologize and to request that we get back together again." Harry replied incredibly softly and calmly, even though she was yelling at him.

She dropped her volume to match his and her tone lost some of its bitterness too as she said "Go on, Harry, I've been hoping that you would come."

"Ginny, I've been a prat. I didn't listen to my heart. As usual, I've listened to my head and made a terrible, terrible mistake. Without you, I'm nothing. I'm just a sad, broken-hearted Harry. I realize now that by pushing you away, I was losing my one true love; the only one who can help me destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes and defeat him, once and for all. As Dumbledore always used to tell me, I must be the one to stop Voldemort, and it can only be done with love. By pushing you, my love, away, I was ruining my chances of destroying him, while trying to keep you safe, thereby weakening the love between us. Ginny, I'm begging your forgiveness for being an idiot, and would be honored if we could continue our relationship the way it should have been."

"Harry, I completely understand. That is why I told Hermione that I didn't blame you. You thought you had my best interests in mind. But, um, next time let me decide, okay? Harry, I love you too and I really want us to continue our relationship. I'm happy that you came back to me. Please, Harry, don't ever leave me like that again. I don't know how I survived those last three weeks."

"Thank you, Ginny." It was all he could say before she pulled him to her and kissed him again. It was just as they had remembered, but somehow better. It spoke volumes of their love for each other and her forgiveness of him.

When they finally separated, she replied, "Your welcome." Then she quickly added, "Next time I won't be so forgiving!"

He answered, "There won't be a next time. From now on, you and I will remain together, forever."

She smiled at him, and said, "Oh, Harry, I love you so much. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" She had tears in her eyes and flung herself into his lap for comfort.

"I love you too, and I couldn't bear to see you hurt." She just sat there for quite a while as he gently stroked her hair. Neither spoke, they were just so happy to be together.

He thought she had fallen asleep, as she hadn't spoken for almost twenty minutes, but she surprised him when she spoke softly, unsure if he was awake. "Harry, I got you a birthday present. Let me go and get it."

"You shouldn't have. You have already given me the best present I could ever get by taking me back." Still, he let go of her, and she got up to get his present.

Ginny went to her desk and rummaged around for a couple minutes before returning with a small wrapped package which she handed to Harry. She then sat back down in his lap contentedly.

He waited a few moments for her to get settled and then, at her urging, unwrapped the box. Inside was a small book. He looked at it closely and then noticed that the words "Remember our Love" were engraved on the cover. He opened it and found pictures of their life together including their first kiss. Even though they had gone out for only a month, it still had many pictures. Harry just looked at Ginny and she could see his gratitude. "Thank you, for the best birthday of my life," before pulling her close for another kiss. They pulled apart after breathing became difficult.

"Any time, Harry!" she said, as she resumed her position in his lap. He idly twirled some stray strands of her hair around his finger as she lay her head down on his chest. They both were smiling, together, reveling in each other's presence, and both fell asleep together, wrapped in each other's arms. It was the best sleep that either of them had had since they had broken up.

Harry was woken up by a loud cheering noise and then felt someone clapping him on the back. Harry stared blinking at him for a few minutes trying to understand why Ron was doing that and where he was. Comprehension dawned on him suddenly and he felt elated knowing he was holding Ginny in his arms and they were back together, the way it was meant to be. He felt oddly, relaxed, at peace with the world again. She came around slowly, and then stretched contentedly in his lap, giving him a big hug and then kissing him for a long while. When they had to stop for breath, they noticed that Ron and Hermione were also engaged in similar activities in the hallway. Harry grunted slightly to get their attention.

When they finally noticed him, Hermione flushed bright red, and Ron stared at Harry before bursting out laughing and explaining, "You were using the time well, so we decided to do the same!"

Harry just looked at him… and then asked them all, "Why have we all moved back into Headquarters?"

Hermione answered him, "If you'd read the Daily Prophet, you would know. Voldemort has decided to obliterate families like the Weasleys, so called blood-traitors, and it is no longer safe anywhere else."

Just as Harry was about to utter a retort, Mrs. Weasley walked in, "Ah, Harry, Arthur told me you were coming today. Well, it is your own house after all! And yes, I know all about your relationship with Ginny," she replied to his unasked question. "I expect you all down for lunch in half an hour," She said, with a small smile and walked off with the laundry.

"So, you wanted to talk to us, Harry?" Hermione was all business.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you my plans for finding Horcruxes and stopping Voldemort."

"Wait," Ginny cut into the conversation, "You've spoken of Horcruxes to me before but never explained them at all. If you're going to tell me, tell me everything, please. I want to help you and as you said, you will need my help."

"Okay," began Harry "Horcruxes are very dark objects. Darker than most, and thought to be one of the most darkest objects known to wizard-kind. They help you stay immortal by taking a piece of your soul and sealing it inside a container of sorts. They make the wizard or witch incredibly unstable as cutting apart one's soul is very dangerous. In fact, it's dangerous to even make one of them. The thing with Voldemort is that he made six Horcruxes and thereby split his soul into 7 pieces! They are made by the act of supreme evil: killing another human being."

"Tom's diary!" exclaimed Ginny, shivering with fear and revulsion. Tears coming to her eyes.

Harry wrapped his arms around her tightly and squeezed her gently letting her know he was there, "Exactly, and Dumbledore told me that I have to destroy them with love and then destroy the seventh piece of Voldemort's soul with love as well. I plan on returning to Hogwarts in the fall, but after requesting permission from Professor McGonagall for all of us to leave the castle at any time and return as we can. I'm not sure that she will be willing. If she isn't we are going to have to leave and live on the run. Ginny, I know that it is not my place to ask you to do this but I know you are smart and hope you will agree with my request. Can you please do your sixth year course-work here over the summer and then join us in the fall for seventh year?" He held his breath, unsure of her response.

"Of course Harry!" She exclaimed, kind of breathless with his request! "I guess I'm just a little surprised that you would think I could handle it."

"Ginny, you are a truly amazing person and I know that if anyone can do it, I know you can!" Harry said, while giving her a hug and a small peck on her cheek. Harry continued their previous conversation, "Hermione, do you think we would be able to successfully live on the run?"

"I'm sure we can. In some of the books I was reading for some bedtime reading, I managed to find quite a few useful spells."

"Excellent," said Harry, "Ron, Ginny, Hermione, are you sure you guys want to come with me to do this?"

"Harry, we told you already, we're coming with you and there's nothing you can do about it." Ron said, with nods from Ginny and Hermione.

**Thanks to My Amazing Betas _LXMB _and _Histrionic Juxtapositional Q _You Guys Are The Best!!!**


	2. Chapter 2 The Gift of the Phoenix

**Harry Potter and the Power of Love**

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I own nothing of Harry Potter. All content is owned by JK Rowling, and I'm simply playing in her sandbox! All I own are my Original Characters, if there are any!

**Summary:** After Dumbledore's death, Harry breaks up with Ginny. He keeps having dreams about a certain dead professor and all that Harry finds out is that Ginny is important to him and to the war! This is an Alternate Universe, seventh year fic. Obviously, the Deathly Hallows are ignored!

************Please Note This is My First Fanfiction! Reviews & Constructive Criticism Are Highly Appreciated!************

**Author's Note:** This was a great chapter to write! While the bonding wasn't originally my idea, it is one featured in many, many fanfictions. This is how I see it happening!!! No Phoenixes were harmed in writing this chapter! The funny thing about this chapter is that there were three definite places where the chapter _could_ have ended. Unfortunately, every time I wanted to end it there, the chapter refused to cooperate! The results are what you see!! If you read this, _**please review,**_ I am a first time fanfiction writer, I want to know what I'm doing wrong so that I can make it better!! Thanks to all 100+ people who read the last chapter! To the four who reviewed, it really makes a large difference to me to see reviews. I hope you will continue reviewing! Originally, my plan was to post this chapter yesterday after finishing writing it, unfortunately, most things never go according to plan so here you guys go!

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**Chapter Two:** The Gift of the Phoenix

After lunch, the four teens moved back upstairs to the library. Hermione said, "I'm sorry Harry, but I just couldn't wait for you to come back here before beginning to sort things out and organize. I thought you wouldn't mind but..." She broke off, not sure how to continue.

Harry gathered her up into a brotherly hug and told her, "Shh Hermione, you've always been the sister I never had. Of course, you don't need to ask me to look through my things, especially the library. You know that, right?"

She whispered, afraid that he would change his mind, "You really mean that Harry?"

"Yes, every word of it. The same applies to you Ron and you Ginny," he continued, pulling them both into what soon became a group hug. "Ron, you're the brother I've always wanted and Ginny, your my other half, we're both two parts of a whole. None of you have to ask to take or look through any of my things. You are all family." Little did Harry realize how soon his description of his relationship with Ginny would soon be literally correct.

After their conversation, a phoenix flamed into the room clutching a scroll within his beak. He flew over to Harry who caught the fluttering note and then watched in awe as the phoenix landed on his shoulder. With a little trepidation, Harry opened the scroll, worried with what it might contain. He gasped out loud, shocked at what the contents were, in fact it looked like it contained a letter, written in Dumbledore's neat, loopy writing.

"_Dear Harry,_

_If you are reading this then, obviously, I must be dead. It is with great concern for your well being that I pass on to my next, great adventure. Harry, I had hoped to see you through fulfilling the prophecy before I died but unfortunately that is not the case. Instead, I leave with you my advice and hope that you take it. It is the only way that our world will be able to survive this war. The future of our world is at stake._

_Harry, I know that we have had our disagreements, but I want you to know that I have always loved you as a grandson. So far, you have done well in your efforts to fulfill the prophecy. However, time_

_is running short. Harry, when you began to date the young Miss Weasley, I was at first shocked. I had hoped that you would leave her as you did Miss Chang and concentrate on defeating Voldemort. However, I realize now that I was mistaken. I realize that she is in fact your other half and she is, forgive my wording, the key to unlocking your power to defeating Voldemort. You remember I told you that power was love, Harry? Well, it's pretty obvious from my point of view that you love her, and I know that she loves you. She's good for you Harry. If I know you correctly, I'm sure you'll have pushed her away, fearful for her safety. But I must urge you not to, she is crucial to your survival as well as the survival of the rest of the world. She centers you, keeps you calm, this much even I can see. Without her, you are lost. Do not push her away Harry, you will regret it._

_I must write a little bit more, in regards to my will. This is not my official will, that will be read and executed by Aberforth, my brother. I'm hoping that the reading hasn't happened yet, so that I will be able to brief you in this letter. I'm leaving almost my entire estate to you. Aberforth already has taken his half of the Dumbledore family lands, and he has assured me he has no needs of my estate. This will add a rather large sum of galleons to your vault, in addition to two properties; Dumbledore Manor in Wiltshire as well as my vacation island in the Mediterranean. I know how rich you already are Harry, being the manager of your estate till your seventeenth birthday, and I know that you feel you don't need it, but I would rather that it went to you, instead of anyone else. There is no one else who needs it more. The one thing I must ask, is have fun, spend some money on Miss Weasley, have fun with Ron & Hermione and enjoy yourself._

_In regards to your mission, I trust you have told Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Weasley. If you haven't told them yet, now would be a great time, you will need their help to succeed. I must also impress on you the importance of not telling anyone else about this mission. It is crucial to it's success._

_There is one last matter that I must attend to within this letter before I say goodbye for the last time. Fawkes has chosen you to be his next companion. He will join you for the rest of your life and will also help you with your mission. He carries with him much wisdom from his years as a companion to many powerful wizards. You would be wise to listen to and heed his advice. It is a great honor to be chosen by a phoenix and, as you know, Fawkes is no ordinary phoenix. I trust you will take care of each other well._

_I'll always love and miss you Harry,_

_Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry"_

"I will Professor, I promise," Harry thought as the tears began to leak from his eyes. He passed the scroll to Ginny who gasped as she too began to read and understand it. Almost simultaneously, he felt a tendril of warmth touch his mind. It took him a few minutes but he realized that Fawkes was bonding with him. What he would give to be able to do this with Ginny! He decided to try something: "Lo Fawkes," Harry thought.

He heard a musical trill and the words, "Greetings, my young companion. There is much you have to do before you will reach the peace you so desire. However, I must request that you and your Ginny come with me now. It is a matter of great urgency." All of this was accompanied by the musical phoenix song and some more soothing trills.

Harry waited until Ginny had finished reading the letter, and had passed it along to Hermione. Then he grabbed her hand. Simultaneously, he grabbed onto one of Fawkes's tail feathers and they all disappeared in a flash of fiery light.

Hermione looked up from Professor Dumbledore's letter to Harry as she suddenly saw a flash of fire and light. She gasped out loud, for Harry and Ginny were no where to be seen. For that matter, neither was Fawkes. "Ron," she gasped, "They're gone!"

"What? Who's gone?"

"Ron! Harry and Ginny are GONE!" She ended in a high-pitched squeak.

Ron finally looked up from the letter and saw the room empty except for Hermione, "Uh-oh," he said, "What are we going to tell Mum?"

The woman in question soon came up the stairs, running frantically, "I heard screaming," she said, "Is everyone all right?" Almost as if it were an afterthought, she added, "Where are Harry and Ginny?" She wasn't too worried yet, as she thought that they had probably gone to one of their rooms to have some alone time.

"Um Mrs. Weasley," Hermione began, "The thing is Harry and Ginny, um well they just disappeared in a flash fire and light." She cringed, bracing herself for Mrs. Weasley's yelling. She wasn't disappointed.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY JUST DISAPPEARED! DIDN'T YOU TRY TO STOP THEM? THEY COULD BE HURT, LYING SOMEWHERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DIEING, OR WORSE, VOLDEMORT COULD HAVE CAUGHT THEM! DIDN'T YOU THINK OF THAT BEFORE LETTING THEM GO?"

"She'll be going on for a while," Ron whispered quietly to Hermione.

"We could be using this time to find them." Hermione whispered back. "Mrs. Weasley, we didn't let them go. Thinking back on it, it looked rather like the way a phoenix traveled. And I do remember seeing a phoenix in the room before they disappeared. Maybe the phoenix took them? Either way, arguing about it won't help us get them back." Hermione said, much louder to be heard over Mrs. Weasley's screaming.

"A phoenix you say? In that case I shouldn't be so worried, with phoenixes being creatures of the light and all." Mrs. Weasley said, as her mood visibly brightened.

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As they flamed back into existence, Ginny was a little startled that they had even left the room. She wasn't scared though because Harry was with her and with him, she knew she would be all right. She turned to him questioningly, and he answered her unasked question, "I'm not sure Ginny. Fawkes touched my mind and then he told me he wanted to bring us here. If I didn't know any better, I would think we are at Potter Manor."

At that moment, the room lit up as the wall sconces burst into flame. Then they heard a voice calling out to them, "Very good, Harry, we are indeed at Potter Manor." The voice was coming from a painting.

"Harry, that man—in the painting. I think he is Merlin, Merlin Ambrosius," Ginny said.

Harry looked at her in a mixture of shock and surprise.

"She's right," the painting said, "I am Merlin Ambrosius. If you go back far enough, I am also your great, great, great, great, great grandfather. Of course there are a few more greats in there but let's forget about those for now."

"How did you know my name?" Harry asked the painting.

"I know many things about you, including one very dangerous prophecy. As for how, I told you, we are related. Through another line, the Potters are related to the Dumbledores, even more closely now as Albus has passed on his property and title to you. In fact that makes you the true heir of both the Potter and Dumbledore lines." The painting said.

"All right, but then why would Fawkes have brought us here?" Harry queried the painting.

The painting answered, "Phoenix's are extraordinary birds. There is no telling why one would do something like this. Unless—I think he wanted you to just have some quiet alone time together." The insinuation was obvious within his voice, "He may also have wanted you to explore the Manor. It is your ancestral home after all."

"Thank you—grandfather." Harry said, after struggling for a moment to decide what he should call him.

"It was my pleasure, grandson," the painting of Merlin replied.

Harry and Ginny began to wander around to Manor, not really paying attention to anything till they came to a plush sitting room. Ginny pulled Harry into the room. As they entered, they looked around. The room was devoid of any paintings, only empty frames hung from the stone walls. As for furniture, there was what appeared to a be a very expensive looking leather sofa along one wall, along with a wooden tea table. There was also a sturdy rocking chair and a large throw folded in a corner. Ginny tugged on Harry's hand pulling him towards the leather sofa. On the way there, Harry grabbed the throw expecting the leather sofa to be rather cold. They were after all only wearing shorts and t-shirts. The room was quite chilly as it was.

Harry sat down on the sofa and then Ginny curled up in his lap. She spread the throw around both of them, and then leaned up to kiss him. It was a deep kiss, full of passion and promise. As they kissed, they both felt a strong desire—to keep the other safe and to be together for ever. They also felt a small tingling feeling that began at their lips and began to spread through their body. As it passed their hearts, they felt their heartbeats match up so that both hearts beat as one with a steady bump-bump, bump-bump, bump-bump! They pulled apart slowly, holding each other. There was a burst of phoenix song in the background as they felt rather than heard Fawkes add his magic to the ritual.

Harry spoke, the words coming naturally from within him, "I Harry Potter, pledge myself to Ginny Weasley. I will always be faithful to her, in mind, body, soul, and magic."

And Ginny replied, "I Ginny Weasley pledge myself to Harry Potter. I will always be faithful to him, in mind, body, soul, and magic."

As they both spoke, they felt the magic within them swirl and spin. A massive aura built up around them as the green aura of Harry melded with the fiery red aura of Ginny, combining, together forming the new fiery, golden aura that would forever define them. They felt a continuing need to continue holding onto each other and they did—they held hands as they wandered back towards Merlin's painting to find the answers of what just happened to them.

As they neared Merlin's painting, they heard him exclaim, "By the stars! It's been a long time since I've ever seen that!"

Harry asked, "Seen what, grandfather?"

Merlin responded, "Love as powerful as yours and your Ginny's! You have achieved a soul-bonding. The last soul-bonding occurred many, many years ago, between your late Headmaster, Albus and his dear one. Unfortunately, their bond had to be severed to ensure his survival when she died. You should be very happy for yourselves! You have achieved a state that many have wanted since magic began. Eventually, you will find yourselves much closer to each other. You will have new abilities, and will be able to do things together, that most couples have only dreamed of. For now, however, you must maintain physical contact and return daily to me so that I may check on the state of your bond. Failure to maintain contact till the bond has solidified will result in your deaths. I shall see you tomorrow. Till then, I bid you farewell."

"Goodbye Grandfather..." Harry replied.

"Till tomorrow," Added Ginny.

As one, they lightly grabbed onto Fawke's tail feathers and disappeared in a flash of flame!

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**Thanks to My Amazing Betas _LXMB _and _Histrionic Juxtapositional Q _You Guys Are The Best!!!**

**Author's Ending Note:** Thanks again to all those who read and reviewed!! I really appreciate it :)

Thanks to DukeByron for catching two mistakes that slipped past my betas!! Fixed! Thanks a lot for that!!

Expect another chapter up sometime next week. If we're all lucky, I'll get a chance to update twice!! Thanks again for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3 Don't Mess With A Weasley!

**Harry Potter and the Power of Love**

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I own nothing of Harry Potter. All content is owned by JK Rowling, and I'm simply playing in her sandbox! All I own are my Original Characters, if there are any!

**Summary:** After Dumbledore's death, Harry breaks up with Ginny. He keeps having dreams about a certain dead professor and all that Harry finds out is that Ginny is important to him and to the war! This is an Alternate Universe, seventh year fic. Obviously, the Deathly Hallows are ignored!

************Please Note This is My First Fanfiction! Reviews & Constructive Criticism Are Highly Appreciated!************

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long for the update. The truth was I have been quite busy with schoolwork in addition to reading some other fanfictions. I was recently reading Sovran's, "_**The Meaning of One**_" a truly amazing bond story. It's a slightly different take than my own (series starts in first year) so a direct comparison is nearly impossible. However, his writing is way better than mine! Additionally, my beta went on a trip for a couple of weeks and it seems that while she was gone so was my muse. Oddly enough, I wanted to write but I just couldn't get words to flow on my laptop. I'm working on it. Luckily with Thanksgiving coming soon, I should get a little bit more than normal writing time which should translate into a larger update for you guys!! Thanks in advance to everyone who is reading and reviewing! It really makes me feel good that some of you really enjoy my story! Thanks to the 500+ unique people who have read the story and the 10+ reviews that I have gotten! It's appreciated! To those of you that left signed reviews, I have sent out review reply messages to all of you. To those you didn't leave an email address and left an unsigned review, the responses are below! With my beta away, I managed to write out a couple more chapters. Those are being beta-d now and as soon as they are done, I'll post them. Maybe I'll get lucky, get like five or so chapters ahead so that when I have muse-less weeks, you guys will still have something to read. Wish me luck! As strange as it is, reviews make my muse flow! To those of you who have reviewed, you have actually made writing this a little bit easier and faster. Thanks again for reviewing!

I'd like to add that this was the hardest chapter for me to write so far because I really wasn't sure what to do with it. All in all though, I'm happy with it and so is my beta so I'm hoping you guys approve as well. Right now I have the next four chapters thought out so I really just need to get them on paper soon! This should hopefully result in slightly faster update times, :D

**Review Responses:**

_**Andy**_: I thought your review was a little bit harsh. You mentioned that apparition was impossible within 12 Grimmauld Place. That's technically correct only within the Deathly Hallows (7th Book). I made it quite clear that this was as seventh book replacement and therefore the Deathly Hallows are non-existent in my universe. Any facts from the Deathly Hallows therefore don't apply. Regarding the ministry being after Harry, I defer again to the fact that they weren't after him till the Deathly Hallows. At the end of the Half Blood Prince, they were not after Harry. As for the conversation between Mr. Weasley and Harry being short, that was purposefully done. I wanted it to feel a little bit rushed because I wanted to show that Harry was in a hurry. I hope that clarifies things for you and I look forward to seeing more reviews from you. Thanks a lot for giving me feedback! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

_**Michaela:**_ Thanks for your nice comments! I like to think that I am a creative person, lol. Thanks for making me feel a little more creative! I hope you read and enjoy the rest of the story! I'm going to try and speed up my updates. I'm working on them. The way it is right now, though, I really don't think speeding them up is going to be possible. If I manage to get one update out every week it would be nice but chances are it will take at least two weeks between updates.

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**Chapter Three:** Don't Mess With A Weasley!

It was well past dinner time, when Harry and Ginny arrived back in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, in a flash of flame, still holding hands. With another, smaller fire, Fawkes took his leave. Unfortunately for them, Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen waiting for their arrival and she screamed loudly startled by the flames.

Mr. Weasley rushed into the room, wand drawn, hearing his wife's distraught cry. He lowered it slowly after scanning the room and finding a lack of threats. He slowly walked over to his wife, Mrs. Weasley, and hugged her, patting her back gently, calming her down.

"_We need to tell them," Harry spoke to Ginny through their bond._

"_You're right Harry. But I'm upset at what Mum's reaction will be. I'm afraid she won't accept us for what we have become and will make you leave."_

"_I'm worried too Gin, but I think she'll listen to you. I mean, she is your mother."_

"_You know she thinks of you as her 7th son, Harry."_

"_I know, my Ginevra. I love you!"_

"_And I love you, my Harry!"_

Harry looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley staring at them. He blushed, thinking, _"whoops."_

_Ginny giggled mentally, thinking "Well, here we go."_

Mrs. Weasley walked over and engulfed Harry and Ginny both in large hugs. She put one of them under each arm and squeezed. All this while, neither let go of their own hands. Mrs. Weasley said, "Where have you been? I was so worried when Hermione told me you had just disappeared. I was working myself up into a fury when Hermione mentioned that you both left in a flash of phoenix fire. I was so relieved to hear that you both went with a phoenix. They're creatures of the light and would never hurt you. I'm sure of it dears! So, where were you? I can understand you two are teenagers in love. I was young once too and Arthur and I, we too needed places to be alone at times. But honestly, we never dreamed of taking a phoenix to gain some solitude." She stood, leaning against her husband waiting for an answer.

"Well Mum," Ginny began, "Harry received a letter from Professor Dumbledore. It explained many things including the aftermath of his death and after it, well, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, bonded with Harry. He chose him to be his new companion. Harry listened to Fawkes for a few minutes and it seemed like Harry could understand the musical trills that he was making and then he told me that Fawkes wanted us to go somewhere. Mum, I trust Harry with my life. I grasped his hand and Fawkes tail feathers and then we were gone in a flash of fire. _Your turn, Harry_" she finished within their thoughts.

"_Sure Gin,_" Harry thought back and then continued, talking out loud to Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. "When we arrived there, I started having flashbacks. The house felt familiar and I voiced my thoughts out loud. We heard a voice calling out to us and looking around the room, we found the voice was coming from a portrait. After we spoke to him, he identified himself as Merlin and as one of my ancestors."

Harry paused as suddenly Fawkes flamed back into the room carrying a small portrait in his talons. He spoke to Fawkes, within his and Ginny's soul bond, _"What is it Fawkes?"_

Ginny added, _"Is everything alright?"_

"_All is well, my young companions. I merely went to bring you a portrait to aid you in your communications with your ancestor, Merlin. There are several of them within your ancestral home and I felt that one would be easier to bring to you rather than taking you there daily. It would be prudent to keep the manor off the Dark Lord's radar. Your manor will make an excellent location to hide if this location is compromised."_ Fawkes finished this with a few audible trills before dropping the portrait in Ginny's outstretched palm and then perching on Harry's shoulder.

"_Thanks Fawkes,"_ Ginny thought.

Harry concluded the statement thinking, _"We appreciate you looking out for us."_

Fawkes ended the exchange with, _"It is my pleasure young ones. I will always strive to fight for the light. We will win this war. Have courage my friends!"_ Fawkes trilled again, a soft soothing trill.

When Harry and Ginny began to pay outward attention again, they noticed that Mrs. Weasley was looking at them rather strangely. "You looked like you were speaking, but no words came out. I want an explanation, NOW!" She ended in a shout.

Harry opened his mouth ready to speak but Merlin's portrait that he was holding spoke instead, "You are Ginevra Potter's mother?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded and then gasped, "Ginevra _Potter_! You ELOPED? How could you not tell us? We are your parents! WE HAD A SPECIAL WEDDING PLANNED FOR OUR ONLY DAUGHTER!" She began to fly into a rage, complete with tears of anger.

Luckily, Merlin's portrait interrupted her before she could very far, "I understand you may be a little upset, Molly, but I must assure you that they didn't elope. Yet they are married. What occurred between them is referred to as a soul bond. Legally it may be a form of marriage, but it is so much greater. I don't know how much you know about soul bonds, so I'm going to tell you the same as I told Harry and Ginny. They will have new abilities and will be able to do things together, that most couples have only dreamed of. These abilities will be directly tied to their love for each other, as that is what caused this soul bond to occur. As I told them, soul bonds are very rare. I've never heard of one forming between two such young people before. Of course their age is irrelevant. The soul bond has formed and we must do everything we can to make it strong. Their love has done the hardest part but now they must maintain physical contact and speak daily with me so that I may check on the state of their bond. If they fail at maintaining physical contact until the bond has solidified, they will both die as now neither can live without the other. Oh and by the way, Mrs. Weasley, if you go back far enough, I'm Harry's grandfather, with a lot of greats in there!"

"Mr. Ambrosius," Mrs. Weasley began, "they can't possible maintain physical contact. Not while they are sleeping! They are still young children. I WILL NOT HAVE THEM SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED IN MY HOUSE!"

"Molly," Mr. Weasley began, "They are married. No matter their ages. Legally, they can go anywhere they want. They are both considered adults in the eyes of the ministry now. I for one, would rather that they remain here alive together instead of dying apart."

"Arthur, they are just CHILDREN!"

"Mum," Ginny began, "I haven't been a child since my first year at Hogwarts and facing Riddle's diary. He ended my childhood then. And Harry, well he never really had much of a childhood at the Dursley's. It's sad and hard to believe that anyone could do that to a child but they did it to Harry, Mum. I know I love him and I know he loves me. Our soul bond and resulting magical marriage was done because of that love we have for each other."

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry continued, "I've never really had anything I could call my own. Now I have Ginny and she has me. Please don't take us away from each other. After everything we have both gone through, I think we both deserve some happiness, and our happiness comes from our love for each other."

Merlin's portrait added, "Trust them Molly. They are no longer children. They are in love with each other and they are married. Far beyond married."

"Very well, against my better judgment I will take your word Mr. Ambrosius. They can remain together. Now explain this communicating thing that you were doing." Mrs. Weasley said, while looking towards Ginny. To her surprise it was Harry who began to answer her question.

"We can—"

"communicate—"

"with each other—"

"telepathically. It's a side—"

"effect of our—"

"bonding." Both Harry and Ginny finished together with identical smiles on their faces.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley simply gaped at them before they began to smile as well. "Now I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten yet. I still have some stew left from dinner. Let me warm it up for you," Mrs. Weasley continued.

"Thanks!" Both teens said at once, still grinning at each other. They sat down at the table as the stew ladled itself into their bowls and a loaf of bread cut itself into thick slices. They held hands for another couple of minutes before an idea struck them both. Ginny wrapped her right foot around Harry's left ankle giving them the physical contact they needed. They both dug into their onion stew with gusto and soon both of them were done.

With the sleeping arrangements already having been decided, Harry and Ginny slowly walked up four flights of stairs to the master suite of the house. It had been decided that since Harry owned the house, he would be staying in that room. It didn't seem fair for anyone else to use it.

As they entered the room, Harry gasped as the Slytherin green decorations changed to a Gryffindor red and the dust literally vanished from the room as if it was welcoming it's new master, which it was. As they looked around, they found that both Harry and Ginny's stuff had been moved into the room. He felt Ginny squeeze his hand tighter and then he blushed, realizing what the problem was.

She had to use to loo before bed. Now that he thought about it, Harry realized that he too needed to use it.

"_This should be interesting,"_ Ginny thought to Harry.

He blushed even more at this comment, before waving his right hand at the door. His left was still holding onto to Ginny's right hand. The door swung shut and with a clicking sound, he heard the lock engage. Waving his hand one more time, Harry saw the door shimmer and then a series of wards and silencing charms reinforced the lock. _"Even if we don't do anything tonight, I would still like some privacy, Mrs. Potter." _Harry thought with a mental grin.

Ginny shivered _"It's good to have the name Potter. You know I've wanted this since I was four?"_

"_I know. What's amazing is that as a four year old, you had already decided who you were going to marry. What's surprising is that your choice from then ended up being the person who you fell in love with and did marry. Bet that doesn't happen to most people."_

"_We're not really most people, now are we Harry?"_

"Touché!" Harry finished out loud grinning again.

They both walked into the bathroom. As Ginny undressed, Harry turned away as far as he could while still holding her hand, trying to give her at least some modesty. He too undressed while staring away from her. She laughed thinking, _"We're married Harry! You are going to be seeing a lot more of this body."_

"_Is this what you really want though? To be married to me?"_

She could feel his uncertainty and she walked around to face him, both wearing nothing. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "You were all I ever wanted, Harry. I love you. While I do appreciate your chivalry. We _are_ married now and you can look, you know."

In the same low whisper, Harry said, "You are beautiful beyond words, Gin. I love you forever."

She replied by capturing his lips in a searing kiss and they all but ran out of the bathroom, and on top of the bed, stopping briefly to grab their pajamas. They lay down together and Ginny laid her head on Harry's chest and Harry fell asleep with his arms wrapped around his wife and her fiery red hair splayed across his chest both content just to be together.

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**Thanks to My Amazing Betas _LXMB _and _Histrionic Juxtapositional Q _You Guys Are The Best!!!**

**Author's Ending Note:** Thanks to all of you wonderful readers out there. I have almost 500 hits total on this story! 142 of those being readers who read through to the second chapter. Thanks for reading! As to the 8 of your who wrote reviews, that's mighty fine of you! Thanks for doing that!! To the five of you who wrote two reviews, you guys are the best! Please continue to keep reviewing! Reviews are like candy, they're meant to be given and shared. Personally, I've reviewed every fanfiction I've ever read. Please review mine! Trust me, it will keep me writing!

Thanks also to those fourteen of you who have favorited my story and those fourteen who have added it to an alert. To those three of you who have favorited me as an author and the one of you who as added me to your author alert. Thanks to all of you!!

I'm trying for another chapter in a week. We'll see how it goes!


	4. Chapter 4 Reactions

**Harry Potter and the Power of Love**

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I own nothing of Harry Potter. All content is owned by JK Rowling, and I'm simply playing in her sandbox! All I own are my Original Characters, if there are any!

**Summary:** After Dumbledore's death, Harry breaks up with Ginny. He keeps having dreams about a certain dead professor and all that Harry finds out is that Ginny is important to him and to the war! This is an Alternate Universe, seventh year fic. Obviously, the Deathly Hallows are ignored!

************Please Note This is My First Fanfiction! Reviews & Constructive Criticism Are Highly Appreciated!************

**Author's Note:** I'd like to begin this note by apologizing to the people that have been waiting eagerly for this chapter. Real life caught up with me, I fell behind and I got a horrible case of writer's block. It's not that I don't want to continue this story, believe me I do. I've got a huge outline to cover and have barely made a dent into it so far. However, I'm just too distracted to get much of this written out easily. Making the outline was surprising the easy part. From there, making it into chapter form is taking a long time. This chapter was actually attempted to be written out 3 times over the last several months. Unfortunately for us all, I was unable to write it at those times. The good news is that I've got several chapters lined up and ready to go so there should be some fairly steady updates for a while now.

I'd like to apologize for the alerts going out a week early twice. I was fixing the bold problems in the first chapter and that required it to be deleted and replaced, thereby sending out the emails. Sorry about that.

I'd like to thank **Jammeke** for her very long and appreciated reviews! Thanks Jammeke! You are the best!! It is also mostly Jammeke who got me back into writing. My muse had run away again, and she caught it and brought it back to me. **Thank You Jammeke!!!!!!!**

I hate to say it but after writing 2/3 of this chapter, my muse ran away again. This time, I have to thank **LMXB** for bringing it back to me. **Thanks LMXB!!!**

**Thank you both, without you this chapter would not be what it is!!!!**

I'd also like to give a special mention to **Lyric Medlie** for her multiple reviews and requests that I continue writing. She was also part of reason you are getting this chapter now. **Thanks So Much Lyric!**

I'd also like to thank anyone who has written a review and I'd like to thank you more if you have written multiple reviews. If you've added this story to your alerts, favorites, or added me to your alerts or favorites, I'd like to thank you for that as well. To those of who just read and don't review, I do appreciate the fact that you are at least taking the time to read my story.

To all my new readers, Welcome! To all my returning readers, Welcome Back! I'm sure we will all enjoy this journey together.

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**Chapter Four:** Reactions

The sun rose, enveloping the inhabitants of Number 12, Grimmauld Place in a reddish, golden glow. In the master suite, two newlyweds slumbered on oblivious to the going-ons in the rest of the house. In his own bedroom, Ron Weasley woke up slowly, taking his time to remember what was going on. As he blinked blearily, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen his little sister or his best friend since early the previous day. He got up suddenly, wanting to make sure that they were alright.

The house was still mostly silent as he thumped his way over to the girls' room. He knocked and when there was no answer, he turned the knob. As the door opened, he heard a loud shriek before it closed suddenly. He stood there, perplexed until a few minutes later the door opened to admit it's only occupant: Hermione Granger.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY!" She screamed at him. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? OPENING MY DOOR WHILE I'M CHANGING! HOW DARE YOU? Got a good view?" Her tone changed to a slightly teasing one.

Ron started blushing and murmured an unintelligible response.

"What was that Ron?"

"I said, not really no. Sorry about that Hermione. I did knock but you didn't respond. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about Harry and Ginny. She wasn't in there was she?"

"Ginny? No. She wasn't. I was hoping that you would know more. We should go downstairs. I'm sure your mother might have a better idea."

Ron and Hermione walked down the stairs, holding hands, and stealing kisses every few steps. As the reached the basement, they heard Mrs. Weasley humming softly as she made breakfast.

"Good Morning, Mum" Ron called out.

"Ron! Hermione! Good Morning to you both! You're up early." She pulled them both into bone-crushing hugs.

"Mrs. Weasley," Hermione began, "We were wondering if you had seen Harry or Ginny?"

"I saw them last night dears. They are upstairs, asleep."

Ron dashed up the stairs, taking them by two. Hermione followed behind him, at a more sedate pace. They ran together along the third floor corridor, seeing all the empty rooms till they reached the end of the corridor where the Master Suite was.

"He didn't." Ron growled.

"Ron, they are dating and you did say that you were okay with it." Hermione tried to calm him down.

"I said I was ok with them DATING not SLEEPING TOGETHER!" Ron reached out and tried to turn the knob. The door refused to cooperate, however. In his anger, Ron kicked the door. As his foot made contact with the wood, there was a loud thud and Ron landed on the floor, out cold.

Hermione decided to take a more logical approach. She cast "Alohomora" at the door repeatedly. Nothing happened, it simply absorbed the energy. In confusion, she tried several other unlocking spells each with the same result. In desperation, she finally cast, "Reducto!" at the door. Needless to say it didn't like that very much and she too landed on the floor, out cold.

Ron awoke several minutes later and he wasn't happy at all. He shook Hermione till she too woke up and together they contemplated the locked door. While they were contemplating it, they suddenly saw the door glow red, then brown, and then settle on gold before fading away. The knob then turned and the door opened admitting both Harry & Ginny Potter who were holding hands.

"Good Morning Ron, Hermione." Harry stated.

"You Bastard." Ron began. "How could you even think about sleeping with my sister?" It took Hermione's restraining arm to keep him from flinging himself at Harry.

Ginny replied, "Honestly, Ron, we're married." She turned to smile at Harry who smiled back at her.

"_Look, he's fainting!"_ Harry thought to Ginny. She spun around in time to see Ron collapse on the floor in a dead-out faint.

As one, both Harry and Ginny started laughing uncontrollably and collapsed on the floor in each others arms. After they had both gotten over their laughing fit, Harry waved his hand at Ron and with a gasp he got up.

"All right, Harry, Ginny, that was real funny, but what really happened and why were you sleeping together?" Hermione, ever the peace keeper was holding onto Ron making sure he wouldn't try to attack Harry again.

"It's a bit of a long story," Ginny began, "Why don't we move over to the sitting room on this floor. It would be a little more comfortable. _You want to begin this time?" _The last was thought to Harry.

"_If you wish, my lady."_ He thought back to her.

"_I do, my lord."_

Harry began, "You were there when Professor Dumbledore's letter arrived. His phoenix, Fawkes, delivered it and then bonded with me. He has chosen me to be his new companion. At his request, we traveled with him to Potter Manor. There we met the portrait of an ancestor of mine. You might have heard of him, Hermione. His name was Merlin Ambrosius."

She goggled at him before gasping out, "The Merlin Ambrosius?"

"Yes, The Merlin Ambrosius. And he asked us to call him grandfather. He says that he is my grandfather with a great many generations between us."

"Wow! That's incredible. You are the last living heir of Merlin Ambrosius."

"Yep," Harry grinned. _"I wonder what her reaction will be to the rest of the story."_ He thought to Ginny.

"_Let me tell it."_ She thought back and then continued out loud. "After talking to him for some time, we came upon a sitting room. Of course once in the sitting room we began to kiss each other and after a time we pledged ourselves to each other and Fawkes added his magic to the ritual. We became bonded, mind, body, soul, and magic. Grandfather instructed us to maintain physical contact at all times, or we will die. Our bond hasn't solidified yet, we are now two halves of one whole. Till that solidifies and stabilizes we must be together at all times. Grandfather told us that we would have new abilities but we expected them to take longer than they did."

"That's impossible. No one can bond themselves magically. I mean, there are blood bonds, and marriage bonds, but soul bonds are impossible."

Harry sighed, "Hermione, we've been over this. If you won't believe us, maybe Merlin will be able to convince you."

Hermione noticed identical grins on both Harry's and Ginny's faces as they together brought out a portrait.

"I am Merlin Ambrosius. I assure you that everything my grandchildren have told you is perfectly true."

Hermione gasped, "But, why aren't soul bonds referenced in any texts?"

"Have you read every book there is to read?" Merlin laughed, and Fawkes too added his own trill.

"Of course not! Oh, I see."

"Yes, the books are so obscure that most people have never heard of them, let alone read them."

"Mione, we know you've read a lot, but you can't have read everything," Ron said, grinning at her."

* * *

They were interrupted by Mrs. Weasley who entered the sitting room carrying a tray with breakfast for all of them.

"Here you go, dears. Eat up, quickly, now." She then left the room, closing the door behind her. She needn't have spoken as Ron had already dived onto the table was gulping everything in sight.

"So that's the whole story, huh?" Hermione asked.

"Yep," said Harry.

"Good because we really need to decide what we are going to do. We have horcruxes to destroy, Voldemort to kill, and neither Headquarters nor Hogwarts are safe right now."

"If Headquarters isn't safe, then why are we all here?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's safe, but ever since Professor Dumbledore's death, the Fidelius charm is no longer active so we could be found out at any time. It's still the safest location right now. However, we do need to move at some point."

"I see." Harry commented, "And why not move the Order to Hogwarts?"

"Without Professor Dumbledore to strengthen the wards around it, Hogwarts is no longer safe for anyone."

"So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," Ginny added.

Ron looked confused. Hermione leaned over and whispered, "It's a muggle phrase."

"Then how come... never mind." Ron replied.

"So it seems our first priority is to find a new safe location, at least for ourselves while we are searching for the Horcruxes. As it is, the Order needs a new home too." Harry said after thinking it through.

"Yes, though the Order has been looking for a secure location, they have been so far unable to find it." Hermione replied.

"_Professor __McGonagall is currently head of the Order. But, here's the strange part. She's not acting like it all. She hasn't assumed complete command and when I asked her, she said it was temporary. She is waiting for the next leader to announce himself. Three guesses who that is?"_ Ginny thought to Harry with a grin.

He grinned back, _"I guess that would be me. Professor Dumbledore was planning for me to continue his work. If he left me with the Order, it would only make life easier for us."_

Hermione looked affronted that she couldn't hear their conversation. "What are you two grinning at?" She asked.

"Harry just realized that Professor Dumbledore meant for him to lead the Order." Ginny told them.

Hermione gasped, "Of course! That's why Harry was the one that he told everything to. It explains Professor McGonagall's strange behavior as well."

Ron frowned. He obviously was having trouble understanding. He opened his mouth to ask a question and then closed it again, as it finally made sense to him.

* * *

With their meal finished, the four friends decided that they needed to relax and good game of chess seemed to be just the right thing. Of course, Ron being the chess master that he was, it was decided that he would play Harry, Ginny, and Hermione all at once to see if he could juggle three different games simultaneously. He was confident that he could but the other three were cautiously optimistic, hoping that this would finally be the first time that they had ever beaten him, even if it was cheating a little bit.

Surprising no one, Harry was the first to be defeated. He wasn't really giving it all of his attention as he was very distracted. This of course led to Ginny's defeat and then both of them sat beside Hermione, trying to silently encourage her to win. Ron's victory against both of them fuelled his pride and he became sure that he would win his final game against Hermione. Of course, he wasn't expecting distractions.

Hermione's bare foot rubbed up and down his own leg.

"You ready to concede Ron?" Harry asked him, sure that Hermione would be able to beat him while he was distracted.

"You wish," Ron replied.

"Checkmate!" Yelled Hermione.

"WHAT! How? But..." Ron sputtered.

Ginny grinned at Hermione and laughed while Ron's face went from red, to purple, to white, to red again! Her laughter was contagious and soon all four teens were rolling on the floor laughing. Unfortunately for them, the moment was ended by Mrs. Weasley entering the room with a bald eagle carrying a letter.

"Harry dear. It's for you. The silly bird wouldn't let me remove it for you." Mrs Weasley said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied and removed the letter from the eagle who proceeded to immediately fly out of the window.

Harry opened the letter and read it out loud.

"_Gringotts International Bank_

_Branch of Diagon Alley_

_London, England_

_Office of the Bank Chairman_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Your ascension to the age of majority has created quite a stir within our Bank. There are many matters to attend to that should have been dealt with a long time ago. Today, you are finally at an age where we can discuss your true state of affairs. There is much that I need to speak with you about and it is of very high importance. Your inheritance from your parents, Mr. Black, and Mr. Dumbledore must be settled. There is also the rather unsettling matter of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Recently, we have received some information that concerns both us and you. There is also the matter of your recent wedding._

_For a client of your stature, we do not schedule appointments. I would like to request your presence, along with your wife's for a meeting at my office in the London Branch sometime this afternoon. I trust this letter finds you in the best of health and I look forward to finally meeting the two of you._

_Gornuk C. Bralad_

_Chairman, Gringotts International Bank"_

Harry looked at his watch and then at Ginny, "Well, I guess we have an appointment."

"We'll try to be back for dinner." Ginny said to Hermione while nodding to Fawkes.

"_Here we go!" _Trilled Fawkes excitedly and the three of them disappeared in a flash of flame.

* * *

**Thanks to My Amazing Beta _LXMB_**

**Author's Ending Note:** Thanks to all of you wonderful readers out there. I have almost 900 hits total on this story! 300of those being readers who read through to the third chapter. Thanks for reading! To my reviewers, thank you! I'm amazed at the number and quality of them. You guys are great!!!

I'm working on getting another chapter out soon. Hopefully, it'll be faster than this one. Then again, with Finals coming up, it may not be. You know what though? I'm going to try, really, really hard! You guys will be the first to know if I succeed, if you put the story on **Alert**! _Grins broadly at audience!_

Thanks guys!


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